Capacity
by Lyrena
Summary: After his death, Dumbledore receives an interesting offer...ValdemarHP Crossover.


Belying his appearance, he was in fact a very organized old man. He had fallen quite literally into death's hands, but he was not foolhardy about it. He had anticipated the outcome for quite some time, and had ensured that loose ends would be tied up. There was nothing more for him to do but wait.

And wait.

And wait. Death is never easy, no matter the circumstance. One could pass on at home amongst family and friends, or come to a more tragic end, but it is invariably difficult for those left behind. He knew this, and though the circumstances surrounding his own demise were far from pleasant, he had long since come to terms with death, and even his own death, as a natural component of life. He was ready for that part of his existence to be over. So why wasn't he moving on?

Of all the possible outcomes there could have been for the next phase in his life, so to speak, he didn't expect this... nonexistence. His mind was intact it seemed, but that looked as if to be just about the only thing. He didn't have a body to speak of. Instead he was primarily formless; a grey mass of mist, roiling and reforming itself in an approximation of flame. From time to time, there was a tingling; a tickling sensation at the back of his mind, but even guarding himself could not block it. Thus far, there were no others like him here. He was being silly; there was nothing to guard himself from! He had encountered no one and nothing in this place.

It was endlessly, expansively, and almost blindingly white in this location. Against this backdrop, at an untouchable distance, infinite black specks stretched out randomly. Although he was positive that he no longer had eyes to squint from, the dots' shapes would stretch to become pointy edged if he strained himself. It looked like the inverse of a star field. The atmosphere alone lent itself to the disposition that it should be a cold place, but to the contrary, it wasn't. It wasn't anything. There was nothing to feel. Not with his senses, anyway.

Time was one commodity that was in endless amount. The only thing one could do here was think. Thank Merlin he still possessed his wits! He had definitely left the realm of the living and his mind could barely keep up with all the new possibilities that could be presented, but he wouldn't allow that. When he got carried away, his mind would burn frustratingly, like an itch he could not scratch. Dwelling on these things would lead to madness. There was nothing more he could possibly do for the situation than he had already done in life. He forced his mind to go blank. The troubling thoughts faded, and instead, he was allowed to drift aimlessly. The mindlessness was a welcome respite, and the burning sensation slowly returned to the now pleasant tingling feeling. When he did think, it was instead of random thoughts throughout his entire existence. His life was flashing before his eyes, so to speak, but instead of just one instant, he had seemingly endless time. There was a touch of the nostalgic, pleasantly so, to these thoughts.

He was out in the meadow near his childhood home, back firmly against a shady tree as a battered copy of _Practical Knitting_ hovered in the air, pages turning with every flick of his wand. He thought about using Pattern 44 to create a pair of warm socks for the upcoming winter as he fondly watched Aberforth chase rabbits around the clearing… Coughing, his face was liberally blackened with soot whilst his furious Head of House lectured him on the improper use of an Incendio Charm. His décor altering flames had gotten just a _bit_ out of hand... He watched the pleasantly dumbfounded expression on Griselda Marchbank's face as he sat his NEWTs… He stood there, on the side of the High Street, wildflowers in hand, just waiting for the lovely Gwendolyn to come his way… He blushed and grinned simultaneously. Hearing the words 'Professor Dumbledore' was going to take some getting used to… His eyes opened wearily to an eggshell coloured ceiling and splotches of lime green fabric. He was at St. Mungo's. Grindelwald was dead… The infant slept soundly in his arms. Though it pained him to do it, he did what he must, and left the slumbering baby boy resting on the doorstep… He sat in a shabby little-known back room at the Hog's Head. Lucky for him that Aberforth was very discreet. He dared not be too far from the school when that objectionable woman was taking over and making a spectacular mess of things… He was surrounded by a sickly green luminescence, and he was falling…

It was strange now, how formerly troublesome thoughts such as that didn't burden him anymore. He could peruse the scrapbook of his life with a cool lack of concern. Not to say that he was indifferent to the images; he had a good many thoughts about them, but he no longer got so caught up in emotion, speculation, and worry. He was objective, and able to evaluate the situations from a new perspective; nearly but not precisely like using a Pensieve.

_:Exactly.:_

The tingling at the back of his mind intensified into a maddening sensation.

Surprised, he immediately shielded himself before searching for the entity that had so easily slipped into his mind. Just as before, it was of no use. He could still feel its presence, only now he could see it as well. Something was approaching. No, not something, _someone_ .

The apparition was misty in appearance, like he was, but there was a definite structured shape to it. Its form was that of a very large horse, with tendrils of vapor curling off it. Though it had the same misty appearance that he currently possessed, it was much brighter, as if an electric blue-white light was emanating from within. This was definitely a creature of power. He internally berated himself for allowing his guard to have gone unchecked for so long before an unreserved calmness filled him. Thoughts about how he would have never allowed anyone to penetrate his psyche so easily before quickly left his mind. There was no trace of malevolence to detect here, and so he slowly let his guard down, bit by bit, until an equilibrium was established between himself and the newly arrived.

_:That's much better,:_ the Presence sighed. _:I thought I was going to be forced to execute a complete invasion before you'd have come to your senses.:_

He was at a loss for words. He knew the being was talking to him, but there were no physical words exchanged. Its words were just echoing around inside his head. It was amazing, really. In his former existence, if necessary, he could invade the mind of others, and even project thoughts outward. This, however, was more than just concepts, bits of ideas, and images; this was more than feelings and memories – this was reciprocal communication. Yet communicating wasn't the main problem. In life, he was a superb Legilimens. He was fairly certain that making the jump from the abstract to the specific wouldn't be difficult. He just had no idea what to say to it.

_:What's with all this 'it' business? I have a gender, you know, and a name! I am Nirmala, and it is not that difficult to talk to me, so to speak. I am a very understanding creature. It's just in my nature.:_

He could feel her smile at him, and the warmth radiating from her in droves; warmth that felt welcome, loving, and unquestionably _female_. He was at a loss for as to how he did not immediately recognize it before. This form of existence and this place had thrown all the rules out of the proverbial window.

He concentrated on her, and pushing i out /i with his mind, he formed a single word:

_:Albus.:_

_:I know, dear one. I have been waiting for you for some time.:_

_:Waiting? For me? But I've been right here – in this place, this entire time.:_

_:It was not about your location, Albus. I knew where to find you. And I had found you. You must know this. I know you could feel me in the back of your mind. You were simply not ready. It was probably a bit uncomfortable until you were ready to accept everything.:_

_:I must say that I am grateful that the itching sensation your presence caused has abated. But why such the long wait? How did you finally determine that I was 'ready', as you put it? Ready for what?:_

_:You needed time to dissociate from your living existence. You needed time to process your life, your memories, your decisions. Time; enough to consider all of it, to bring it up at will, and possess the ability to be objective. I could not openly approach you when everything was so fresh in your mind. You had left the realm of the living, but your heart was still there. Emotions would have clouded your judgment; they ruled you then, and a Transition would have been out of the question–:_

_:Transition?:_ he interrupted kindly.

Nirmala mentally sighed. _:I was going to ease you into it, I really was,:_ she said, her eyes looking up at something invisible. She seemed to be addressing someone other than him. With a visible shake, she brought her attention back to him. _:I was going to have extensive discourse with you, answer loads of questions, show you glimpses here and there for understanding. But I realize now that it is just not your style. You've always been active and willing to help. You've meddled into other's lives constantly. You're curious, and your… what was it called… Griffin-dore… your Griffin-dore bravery and sense of nobility will sway you towards jumping headlong into these new exploits if given even half the chance. Put simply, I am now here because We have a proposition for you.:_ She paused, wanting to collect her thoughts before jumping into another tangent.

Though he was a bit confused and indeed did have questions, just the idea of embarking on a new adventure, or even anything other than _this_ , was getting the best of him. He was already more than interested. But he was no fool.

_:What kind of proposition would this be, my Lady? And just who, or what, are you? Who is this 'We' that you referred to? And why–:_

_:Let's handle a few things at a time, before we further complicate matters,:_ Nirmala replied, amused. _:I am an avatar. I assist and serve the Powers that be in whatever capacity that is deemed fit. This is the 'We' that I spoke of. And as far as the proposition…:_ She hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.

_:Go on,:_ he prodded gently.

_:Well… I'm just going to get to the point and not mince words here,:_ she started bluntly. _:We have need, Albus. We are expanding, and will continue to do so for some time. Circumstances are becoming urgent, and we're running out of internal resources. We need people; good people, like yourself, with practical experience in guiding young minds, in being a mentor, a parent figure, a friend, and so much more. It would be a bond unlike any you've experienced. You've had a successful life, and your formidable knowledge would be invaluable to us, and to whomever you choose to entrust it.:_

_:I admit, I am intrigued. But what exactly is it that I would be doing? What purpose would I serve?:_

_:There are beings in our world, spiritual entities, if you will. They look much like I do; like pure white horses, only much more corporeal. We call them Companions, and to those they Choose – and there is a Choice, Albus; you'd feel a Call, an urging toward the individual – you'd be bound to them, and they to you. You would help to guide them as they train to defend the country. But it is so much more than that; it is akin to finding a soul mate. You would have assistance too; there are many Companions, and of course there would be Our influence.:_

_:What will happen to me if I refuse?:_ he queried.

_:Well, you're already in Our realm and if you do not wish to make the Transition and become a Companion, you could be reborn. You would have a new life in Valdemar; in the country Companions serve. You would probably grow up to become a Herald, one of the Chosen. If this is the path you would take, you would most likely instead be on the receiving end of a Companion's Choice, instead of doing the Choosing. But if you do so, you will do this as a blank slate. Your previous life, memories and knowledge would be wiped clean. Whereas–:_

_:Whereas if I choose to become a Companion, I retain everything.:_ He understood. _:With the memories of my former life intact, I could draw upon that knowledge and be of more assistance. It would help more than if I started out completely fresh, in a foreign body, in a foreign land. You might as well guide these… Heralds yourself if a Companion was a blank slate.:_

_:That's exactly it/i she said, relieved. i :Our other Companions that come to us are all given a choice as well. Most are former Heralds, but Our need is becoming greater than We can currently provide for. We are to war, Albus, and soon. We need as many good people as we can find, and the fact that you are familiar with magic, though the manner of practice is quite different, will be of great help, I expect.:_

_:How so?:_

_:We are a small and primarily non-magical land. There are barriers to protect us, but they are quickly fading. There are those, with magic, who seek to destroy us; believing us to be weak because we do without it. We are working feverishly to rectify this, to regain our magic; we've even gone OutKingdom in our search, but the more help We can get, will be for the better.:_

That was the deciding factor for him. Starting from scratch didn't seem appealing. He would be of so much more use i with /i his mind whole. He was the champion for the oppressed and pushed down in his former life, so why not now? He had worked tirelessly nearly his entire life to preserve the good in his world, first defeating Grindelwald, and later working to rid the world of the influence of Tom Riddle. Magical people attacking those without magic, while not completely similar, struck just a little bit too closely to home, and he'd be damned if he was going to sit by and let that happen. He set himself with a firm resolve. There was no way that he could stand idly by, doing nothing, and allow the potential for this world's Dark Lord to surface. Not in his past life, and not in this one. He now had purpose.

His new life began with six simple words. _:I accept your proposition, my Lady.:_

Nirmala grinned. This was almost too easy. Perhaps it was just meant to be. The Powers had extraordinary ways of exercising Their influence. There was little time to waste.

_:I can sense your eagerness, dear one,:_ she began. _:We shall start immediately. You have much to learn, and little time in which to learn it. Let us ascend.:_

Nirmala traveled in front of Albus and guided him up towards the lightpaths. He followed closely behind, literally bubbling with excitement. Certainly, there would be much uncertainty and hardship, but it would be more than worth it.

After all, to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Originally Written for Sycophant Hex's Sky is Falling Festival Prompt XII:  
Crossover Heaven Create a believable crossover between Harry Potter and the fandom of your choice.  
Last line borrowed from Sorcerer's Stone page 297.


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